According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the United States has the highest prison population per capita in the world. In 2009, for example, 1 out of every 135 U.S. residents was incarcerated. Generally, inmates convicted of felony offenses serve long sentences in prison (e.g., federal or state prisons), whereas those convicted of misdemeanors receive shorter sentences to be served in jail (e.g., county jail). In either case, while awaiting trial, a suspect or accused may remain incarcerated. During his or her incarceration, an inmate may have opportunities to communicate with the outside world.
By allowing prisoners to have some contact with friends and family while incarcerated, the justice system aims to facilitate their transition back into society upon release. Traditional forms of contact include telephone calls, in-person visitation, conjugal visits, etc. More recently, technological advances have allowed jails and prisons to provide other types of visitation, including videoconferences and online chat sessions.
To enable these various types of communications, a jail or prison may install communication devices in different parts of the facility. Such communication devices are generally used to enable inmate communications. For example, at the time of a scheduled visitation, an officer may physically move the inmate from his or her cell or to a communication device or station in a designated area within the correctional facility, where he or she may be able to conduct a remote visitation with friends, family, acquaintances, etc. When the communication is over, the officer may then escort the inmate back to his or her cell.